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Presets Page

You can save custom gimbal positions (Pan / Tilt / Roll / Zoom) and camera states (Focus / Iris / ISO / White Balance / Tint) into the APC-R / APC-R Mini / APC-R Mini Lite, and recall them later. Each APC-R supports up to 12 presets — meaning that with multiple APC-Rs or cameras, you can save up to 12 presets per gimbal/camera.

The presets are stored inside the APC-R itself, so they can be restored as they were even if the Middle Control software, the gimbal, the camera, or the ATEM have been turned off and on again.

If you don't have an APC-R, Middle Control can still save and recall presets for cameras connected over wired LAN or Wi-Fi.

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All presets can be saved, recalled, and renamed using our Bitfocus Companion plugin. Download our custom Companion pages here: Using Middle Control with a Stream Deck via Bitfocus Companion

Saving Presets​

To save a camera/gimbal state into a preset, follow these steps:

  1. (ATEM workflow only) If you're using an ATEM, make sure Middle Control is connected to it in the Preferences.
  2. Move your gimbal Pan, Tilt & Zoom to the desired position using the Middle Control app, Middle Remote, Stream Deck, or a USB gaming joystick.
  3. Adjust the ISO, White Balance, Tint, Iris, and Focus to the desired values using any of the same control surfaces.
  4. Once you're ready, go to the Presets page and click Edit Presets.
  5. Select the preset number where you want to store the current state.
  6. Click Save Current State.

This saves every setting into the preset, regardless of the checkboxes below — those only apply when recalling presets.

All Cameras mode​

The button next to the Camera ID row switches the presets page to All Cameras mode. The 12 slots become A1 – A12 and act on your whole rig at once:

  • Save takes a snapshot of every connected camera and APC-R into that slot number, each on its own camera.
  • Recall fires all of them simultaneously, so a whole multi-camera look comes back in one press.
  • A slot lights up as soon as at least one camera has something saved in it, and its name is shared by every camera.

Selecting a Camera ID — from the segment, the sidebar, or a joystick — leaves the mode.

Middle Control - Presets Page
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  • Before saving your first preset, adjust each setting once in the ATEM after it boots up — even if it's already at the desired value. For example, change white balance from 5600K to 5650K and then back to 5600K. This ensures the value is properly registered before recording.
  • When working with Blackmagic cameras over SDI / HDMI or Bluetooth, focus presets will not be saved after an autofocus trigger. You need to manually adjust focus before saving the preset, as we cannot read the current focus value of the camera.

Recalling Presets​

Tick the checkboxes for the settings you’d like to recall, choose the appropriate Camera ID, and then select the Preset Number you want to recall.

You may also adjust the preset transition duration, either with the slider below or via Bitfocus Companion.

Middle Control - Presets Home Page

Known Issues & Troubleshooting​

Depending on your camera model and workflow, some functions may be unavailable. Here are all the currently known issues.

Blackmagic Cameras​

  • Zoom presets are not available for built-in powered zoom lenses on Blackmagic Cameras. This is because we do not have access to the current zoom value of the lens through the SDK. You can use a DJI Focus Motor instead, with a lens that is not Powered Zoom type.

  • If the camera is controlled via ATEM (SDI/HDMI) or APC-R Mini (Bluetooth), recording a focus position right after an autofocus is not supported. You need to adjust the focus manually before recording a preset since Middle Control does not have access to the current focus position. Also, if you adjust your settings directly on the Camera, these will not be recorded. You need to adjust settings on the ATEM Software or through our software, before saving a preset.

  • If you are controlling Blackmagic camera via Bluetooth (APC-R) and you are also using an ATEM, always make sure you are not having Bluetooth control and ATEM HDMI/SDI control active at the same time. It must be one or the other. More info at Blackmagic Camera Control

  • Overall preset performance will be better in Wired LAN workflows (no Wi-Fi).

Panasonic CX camcorders​

  • Presets are stored in Middle Control (these bodies have no preset memory of their own) and recall the look: iris, gain and white balance, ramped over the transition duration, plus the zoom position on the AG-CX350.
  • White balance is recalled as ATW or as the saved colour temperature in VAR mode. The temperature is reached in steps of 20 K, so it is applied at the end of the transition.
  • Shutter and focus are not recalled: the camera accepts no absolute shutter value over IP, and absolute focus only works in manual focus. The Recall Focus and Recall Zoom checkboxes are greyed where the body cannot honour them.

Sony Cameras​

  • The Sony Powered Zooms will show a stepped behavior at slow transition speeds. This comes from the fact that the Sony SDK gives us the option to set a custom Zoom value, but only at a predefined fast speed, we unfortunately cannot set a custom speed for the Zoom value recall. We can only start / stop the zoom in regular intervals to match the transition speed.

  • Overall preset performance will be better in Wired LAN workflows (no Wi-Fi).

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